


too good to be true

by ackermanx



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Other Characters Are Mentioned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-16 20:29:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21277253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ackermanx/pseuds/ackermanx
Summary: (i'm beginning to believe it's possible to have someone like you without the pain)





	too good to be true

**Author's Note:**

> > please listen to too good to be true by rhys im begging you
> 
> > i possibly used too many run on sentences. this was minimally edited. apologies
> 
> > inspired by the grad school au by twitter user @teir3s, no I don't know how to use html to link this. also inspired by the few departmental celebrations I've been to, all of which were some sort of hot mess
> 
> > im gay. that's all. what did you expect

It had all started with a trip to the bathroom, an unfortunate encounter, and "are you going to the party next week?"

What else was Shamir going to do? Say no to one of the department heads? She could get away with it, sure, but she'd send at least half the faculty into shock if they found out.

So Shamir is at the end of the year party for the environmental engineering department, and Catherine is here too because she got pouty at the thought of Shamir not inviting her to a party. But it's barely an hour in and Catherine has been taken aside by an overly enthusiastic Hanneman, the music selection is bordering on horrendous, and Shamir decides over a bowl of chips that she is definitely too sober for this.

Then - speak of the devil - Catherine is in front of her, one hand extended and a grin that definitely has ulterior motives, and all Shamir can say is "what do you want?"

"A dance," Catherine says, and Shamir rolls her eyes.

"If you're trying to be romantic, you're failing horribly. Asking me to dance in a repurposed classroom that smells like cheese and is crowded with overly caffeinated adults?"

"Well, when you put it _that_ way…"

Catherine retracts her hand and uses it to scratch the back of her head in embarrassment. She looks ready to give in to Shamir's remarks, which -

Oh, there have been times when Shamir had wished for Catherine to listen to her.

This, Shamir decides, is not one of those times.

_Fuck it_, she thinks, and lets her instincts take over.

One of Shamir's hands grips Catherine's arm, preventing her from moving away. The other stays in Shamir's lap, fiddling with a loose thread on her jeans as she opens her mouth and says "just one dance, then."

Dumbstruck, Catherine just blinks at Shamir.

"Well? Say something," Shamir scowls - her heart isn't quite in it, though, and it comes out with more embarrassment than she'd like. "You can say no, I don't care," _yes you do_, "you just looked so sad like that and I couldn't just - "

Both of Catherine's hands suddenly grip Shamir's, startling her into silence. "Of course!" Catherine blurts out, "I'd love to - I mean, that's why I asked you in the first place, so - you know what? I'm just going to stop talking."

"That's the smartest decision you've made all night," Shamir says even as she's smiling, even as her hands fit in Catherine's perfectly, even as she's lifted out of her seat and twirled onto the makeshift dance floor so enthusiastically that it startles a laugh out of her.

There's multiple voices cheering in the crowd, the dance floor is being suspiciously emptied of people, and Shamir knows that she has to smack some coworkers for this later, but…right now, she can't bring herself to care. It's been a long few years, from being a college freshman and having roommates for the first time, to being in her second year of grad school and not being able to imagine life without Catherine.

Maybe Shamir can believe that she deserves this, even if it's just for tonight. Because it's also been a long few years of convincing herself that Catherine doesn't feel the same way, would never feel the same way - but the way that Catherine is looking at her right now, with her eyes soft and her smile beaming, Shamir can pretend that it's real.

"What are you thinking about?" Catherine says, breaking the silence. "You looked like you were having a crisis for a moment there."

"Hm…just thinking about how I wasn't expecting you to dance so well. You don't seem like the type."

"Well, my mom was one of those parents that throw their kids into five different extracurriculars as soon as they can walk. Dance wasn't the first _or_ or the last one that I had to suffer through."

"Hm. Does that imply that you got out of there as quickly as possible?"

"Goddess, of course. Everyone in there was so stuck up, I couldn't stand another minute. But, well…"

Catherine buries her face in Shamir's neck and Shamir barely holds herself back from flinching in surprise - then she mumbles something, quiet but just audible enough for Shamir's heart to stop and her lips to stretch into a teasing smile.

"What was that?" Shamir asks, voice taking on a teasing tone. "Sorry, I don't think I heard you - "

"I _said_, I don't regret any of it, because - because if that had never happened, then I wouldn't be able to dance with you, here, and I really like spending time with you like this, and I wouldn't mind doing it more - "

Catherine cuts herself off, eyes widening as she realizes what she's just said. She turns completely red in the span of a second, the confident aura around her breaks, and she steps away from Shamir nervously.

"I gotta go, um, I'll see you back at the apartment? Be safe, and all that, and - yeah, I'll. Yeah."

The music is still going, but it feels like everything in the room stops when Catherine scrambles out of the room. All that Shamir can do is stare in shocked silence at the door, trying not to make eye contact with anyone in the crowd, and try to calm the questions that are turning over in her mind.

There's a heavy hand on her shoulder and Alois is there, a knowing look on his face. "Go," he whispers - and under any other circumstances, Shamir would be mortified to be receiving romantic direction from her professor.

But Shamir just nods wordlessly, makes a mental note to apologize for leaving so suddenly, and runs.

**Author's Note:**

> come yell at me on twitter @augustenian three houses owns my ass
> 
> (edit: testimonials of this fic include "(reads fic) yeah erin you gay as shiiiit"


End file.
